Manslaughter defendant who picked up new arrest still has chance to bail out again

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A manslaughter defendant who picked up a new arrest while he was free on bail still has a chance to bail out again.

Family and friends of Aloha Adams gathered at Honolulu Circuit Court to once again plead to a judge to lock up her accused killer as he awaits his manslaughter trial. Three weeks ago, while free on bail, Albert Birmingham, 37, was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

"The family, all the family here, they want him in jail and stay in there for what he did," Kimo Venne, victim's then-boyfriend, said through tears.

In January 2010, Birmingham allegedly was drunk and got into an argument with the occupants of another vehicle at the McDonald's drive-thru in Nanakuli. He's accused of running over Adams, 20, and fleeing the scene.

The deadly crash happened in front of her boyfriend, who was involved in the dispute.

"There's not a day that goes by I think about the incident, not a day that goes by," Venne said. "The incident changed my life forever."

The victim's family says the defendant should be held without bail because he's a danger to the community.

"Not only for the sake of the family but the sake of society itself," Venne said. "I mean, another drunk driver on the road is unacceptable."

But the defense believes Birmingham should be allowed to enter a residential treatment program.

"He has some longstanding mental issues that he's had both from this incident and this case that he's pending trial, as well as incidents from his past," Jason Burks, defense attorney, said.